Curated OER
Rusting and the Scientific Method
Students observe the oil can scene with the tin man from a clip from "The Wizard of Oz" and answer the question, "What can we learn about rust from this scene?". They take 2 tubes and 2 nails, adding 1 salt packet to 2 ml of distilled...
Curated OER
Great Questions
Fourth graders research and create questions about a famous person. They create questions in a game format, create a computer generated brochure, and develop rubrics for their finished projects.
Curated OER
Wet or Dry Experiment
Practice the scientific process by testing whether mealworms prefer a wet or dry environment. This is an engaging experiment to use as an example of how to go through the steps of the scientific method. Elementary schoolers can work in...
University of Colorado
Is There Life on Earth?
To find life on another planet, scientists look for gases (atmosphere), water, and temperatures that are not extreme. In this activity, groups of pupils become "Titan-ians," scientists who want to explore Earth for possible life forms....
Space Awareness
Coma Cluster of Galaxies
Scientists classify everything from the smallest cells to the largest galaxies, but how do they decide on a classification system? Scholars use 40 pictures of galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope to sort and try creating their...
Cornell University
What is IPM?
Discover what a pest is and how to identify one with a lesson that looks closely at our outside world and taxonomy. Scholars investigate insects and plants to practice their identification skills, take a survey, and explore the...
Curated OER
Scientific Method
In this scientific method worksheet, students read and discuss a 2 page article on the scientific method, match 3 founders of the scientific method with what they found or produced, answer 4 statements as true or false, list 3 crucial...
Curated OER
Resistors and Scientific Notation
Young scholars explain the importance of scientific notation. In this physics lesson, students determine the resistance of resistors using the colored bands. They compare and contrast scientific notation and resistor band notation.
Curated OER
Review of the Scientific Method
Students review the Scientific Method with a hands-on activity. Working with a partner, they hypothesize the number of water drops that fit on the heads side of a penny. They collect data and share their results with the remainder of...
Curated OER
Alliance to Save Energy's Green Schools Program
First graders, in groups, discover which colors absorb heat and which colors best reflect heat. They do this using the scientific method.
Curated OER
M&M Probability
Students apply the scientific method in order to determine the probability of specific colors in a bag of M&M's. They determine the definition of probability and how it can be used. They make a hypothesis and conduct an experiment to...
Curated OER
Ask a NASA Engineer
Pupils develop questions to ask a NASA engineer to email them. After emailing the quesitons to the volunteer, the answers are sent to the class via the same method. To end the lesson, they formulate more questions and repeat the process.
Curated OER
Physics Midterm Exam #2
This comprehensive midterm exam covers a vast array of topics typical to high school physics curriculum. Problem solving and mutliple choice questions are incorporated. Review the exam to make sure that the content is suitable to your...
Curated OER
'Hunger Games' Science: Investigating Genetically Engineered Organisms
In The Hunger Games novel and movie, a futuristic, dystopian society is the setting. In it, a genetically engineered bird escapes control of the government. Using this as a starting point, teenagers examine the realistic possibility of...
California Academy of Science
What's on a Penny?
As a lesson on scientific observation, have your class investigate the features of a penny and a nickel. Working in pairs, they practice writing detailed descriptions using their senses and a ruler to gather information. This is an...
Curated OER
Where Do Plants Get Their Food?
Plants need food to survive, just like any other living organism. Young biologists analyze an experiment performed in 1610 by Jan van Helmont to determine if plant nutrition is obtained through the soil. First, lab groups work together...
PHET
Learning about Space Weather
Is the sun the only celestial body with magnetic fields? A guided discussion on the weather in space is designed with a mix of questions, discussions, explanations, and applications. Additionally, the resouce includes an article for...
University of Minnesota
Phantom Limb
A phantom of neuroscience may leave pupils perplexed as they engage in an experimental lesson that recreates a phantom limb scenario. After experiencing the phenomenon, they choose a scientific question to explore further.
K20 LEARN
It's Alive! Or, Is It?
Seems like a fairly simple question—until you begin asking your class! Get pupils acquainted with the characteristics of life through pairs classification, discussion, and scientific reading. The lesson plan, part of the K20 series, also...
University of Minnesota
Inquiry Cubes
How do you teach kids to "science" effectively? Inquiry cubes are a "sort of" puzzle with no answer—promoting even more questions! Group members work together to use the evidence on the visible sides of each cube to infer what lies on...
Science & Plants for Schools
Photosynthesis - A Survival Guide
Young scientists learn what it takes for life on Earth to survive with this series of photosynthesis resources. Offering twelve different activities ranging from independent practice worksheets to in depth scientific experiments, this...
ReadWriteThink
Let It Grow: An Inquiry-Based Organic Gardening Research Project
How does your garden grow? An inquiry-based, organic gardening unit asks young scientists to research a vegetable or flower, create an environment for it, and then plant and tend to the seedling. Gardeners develop their own research...
Physics Classroom
Name That Energy
Many upper level tests require pupils to interpret written descriptions of scientific principles. Scholars practice the skill by working through three levels of difficulty. Each question covers kinetic energy, gravitational potential...
NASA
Einstein and His Times
Scholars research and present on the historical happenings of 1919. After sharing their findings, pupils debate about how Congress dealt with the moral issues of the time. The evaluation asks learners to write a persuasive essay...